Snow-melter.



W. J. ISAXON. SNOW MEI-TBB.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 2, 1910.

986, 946. M Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

` Wiliam Jhjes Saxon gym Afro/mns WILLIAM JAMES SAXON, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

SNOW-MELTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

Application filed July 22, 1910. Serial No. 573,195.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, VILLrAM JAMES SAXoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Snow-Melter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in devices adapted for use upon locomotives for melting the snow or ice from the track in advance of the locomotive. The invention is so constructed as to use the steam from t-he locomotive, and to deliver` the steam to the track in the form of a flat stream or sheet.

The invent-ion consists in the combination and relative arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section therethrough; Fig. 3 is a transverse section through a slightly modified form of delivery nozzle; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a third form of delivery nozzle, a portion thereof being broken away.

In the specific form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the locomotive is provided with a transversely-extending beam 10, rigidly secured in position in any suitable manner. Depending from the front edge of this beam are hangers 12, which serve to support small platforms 13 upon which the trainmen may stand, if desired. The beam may have a transversely-extending rail 111 along its upper edge, for the trainmen to grasp while standing on the steps or platforms 13. This beam serves to support my improved snow melter which includes a nozzle extending transversely of the track and delivering downwardly. In the specific form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the nozzle is formed of two plates 14a and 15, one of which may be substantially flat and the other of which may have a groove or channel 16 extending lengthwise thereof upon its inner surface. The two plates are rigidly bolted together and a suitable packing strip 17 is held between the two plates along their upper edges and along the ends. The packing strip is omitted from the lower edges, so as to leave a thin slot 18 between the two, the thickness of the slot being dependent upon the thickness of the packing employed between the plates at their upper edges and at their ends. The slot serves as an outlet for the steam and is directed downwardly, and is of a length slightly greater than the width of the track. This slot constitutes the outlet for the nozzle and is disposed closely adjacent, the uppersurface of the rails. The nozzle is supported in position by hangers 19, extending downwardly from the rear side of the beam 10, so that the nozzle comes in the rear of the platforms or steps 13, and preferably at a lower level. The steam may be delivered from the boiler or from the exhaust valves or ports, through a conduit 20, which has two branches 2l and 22, one of which delivers through one end of the plate 15 into the groove or channel 1G, and the other of which delivers through the opposite end into this same groove or channel. The steam is thus uniformly distributed along the groove and will flow out through the slot and act upon the snow or ice which may have accumulated on the track. The supply conduit 2() may have any suitable form of valve or valves for controlling the supply of steam, and each of the two branches 21 and 22 is preferably provided with its own individual valve.

Instead of forming the nozzle of exactly the form illustrated in Figs. l and 2, I may construct it substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this form, there are employed two plates 14" and 15, separated at their upper edges, and at their ends by a packing strip 172 In this form the two plates are both provided with grooves or channels 1(3"L upon their inner surfaces, and the supply conduit 20a for the steam enters through the rear face of the plate l5, at one or both ends.

In the form of nozzle illustrated in Fig. 4l, I employ a cast metal casing having opposite side walls 14C, 15b, integral with a top wall 17b and end walls. This casing is open at the bottom, and within the casing is a conduit 23 extending lengthwise of the casing and closed at its ends. The conduit is supported at its center by a T 24, one branch of which extends up through the top wall 17b and is adapted to be connected to the source of steam supply. The conduit 23 is provided with a row of apertures along its upper surface, through which the steam may escape. wardly from the conduit against the upper wall 17D, and is thence deiiected downwardly along opposite sides of the conduit and out through the bottom of the casing. rlhis change in the direction of the steam flow results in the uniform delivery of the steam across the entire width of the bottom of the casing.

By supporting tue nozzle closely adjacent the tracks and in advance of the wheels and in the rear of the steps or platforms 13, the steam escaping from the nozzle will not in any way interfere with the trainmen who may temporarily be riding upon the steps, and, at the same time, the nozzle and steps are sufficiently close together, so that the traininen while standing on the steps, may operate the valves of the nozzle or may loosen the snow or ice on the tracks 'preparatory to melting it.

lt is, of course, evident that hot water instead of steam could be supplied from the boiler through the conduit 20. The conduit 20 preferably leadsto apoint.within easy reach of the engineer, so that the engineer may control the delivery of heating fluid without the necessity of a trainman rido-n the steps or platforms 13.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. in combination with a vehicle, a snowinelting nozzle supported on the vehicle and arranged to clear the road for the passage of the vehicle, the nozzle having a steam outlet arranged to deliver the steam at successive points and substantially uniformly along its length and at the lower side thereof and a steam delivery conduit extending along` the length of the nozzle and discharging therein near'each end and at intermediate points, and a steam supply pipe passing to the nozzle and connecting to the conduit.

2. A snow melter for locomotives, includrlhe steam is directed up-V ing a transversely-extending beam supported upon the front of the locomotive, depending brackets carried by said beam, a nozzle supported by said brackets adjacent the upper surface of the track and extending transversely thereof and having a slot along its under side, and means for deliver'- ing steam to each end of said nozzle.

3. A snow melter for locomotives, including a nozzle, means for supporting the same adjacent the track and at a slight distance above the latter, .said nozzle including two oppositely disposed plates spaced apart along their upper edges and along their ends by a packing, and having a slot between said plates along their lower edges to constitute an outlet, and means for delivering steam to the space between said plates.

4f. in combination, a transversely-eXtending beam secured to the front'side of a locomotive, depending brackets upon the front side of said beam, steps supported by said brackets, brackets depending from the rear edge of said beam, a transversely-extending nozzle supported by Vsaid last-mentioned brackets and in the rear of said steps and having' an outer slot extending lengthwise thereof along the lower side, and means for delivering steam to said nozzle.

5. In combination with a vehicle, a snowmelting nozzle supported on the vehicle and arranged to clear the road for the passage of the vehicle, the nozzle having a steam outlet at the lowerI side arranged to deliver the steam at successive points along the length of the nozzle, and a steam delivery conduit arranged within the nozzle and having discharge passages arranged to inject the steam within the nozzle against the upper wall thereof.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM JAMES SAXN.

Witnesses CLAIR W7. FAIRBANK, PHILIP D. RoLLi-mns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

